be prepared to wait a long long time to get your reel and you may have to send an email or two asking for a refund if they can't send your reel soon. This happened to both myself and a friend that ordered reels. My friend ordered his in May and didn't receive it until August after several emails. I ordered in April and didn't rrecieve until June after the same process. Reels are very very nice, light, feel strong, smooth drag, etc. but are a very long time coming. Unless it gets fixed I see this as definitely holding back the growth of the company. I really like my reel but don't know if i'd put myself through the order and wait process again. I know a small company may not be as quick as cabelas or bass pro but 2-3 months is excessive. Hope others have not had this experience b/c the reels are top notch.

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This sounds similar to my experience. Ordered 2 Trout 5/7 reels on promotion with fly boxes on November 22 with a delivery date of mid - December and received the reels at the end of March. Many PM's with many promised dates that were not met. Was offered a fly rod for all the delays and inconvience (these were supposed to be Christmas presents) but multiple PM's have gone unanswered as to when I might see the rod...guess I have my answer! Nice reels but I got tired of being mis-led on when they would be delivered.

quazman, Yes, I remember the offer. I have your msg saved in my inbox to contact you when the rods came in (sorry for not sending you a short reply). I received them last Friday and shipped out all pre-orders before we left for the weekend. Early in 2011 my demand was higher than my supply. I made a post about that to explain to everyone. Eventhough things are running pretty good now. I knew somethigns will come back and hunt me. I'm glad you like the reels and sorry for the issues you had in the past. Evan and I have moved past that stage of the company and growing pains and settle down a bit. Now, all reels are in stock. I just got home about an hour ago from being away for a few days and will take an inventory of the rods. Pleaes dont send me a PM. Please send me an email with your shipping address and two options of rods you would like. Emails are much better.

This sounds similar to my experience. Ordered 2 Trout 5/7 reels on promotion with fly boxes on November 22 with a delivery date of mid - December and received the reels at the end of March. Many PM's with many promised dates that were not met. Was offered a fly rod for all the delays and inconvience (these were supposed to be Christmas presents) but multiple PM's have gone unanswered as to when I might see the rod...guess I have my answer! Nice reels but I got tired of being mis-led on when they would be delivered.

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Complaining about not receiving his 'free' rod and comments about multiple PM'ing kind of puts things in perspective here . . .

I, too, had a delay in receiving my reel and fly boxes, but other than being a nuisance at the time, I got over it. The quality of the products was/is excellent, and they are a tremendous value. I just remind myself that it is (or was, at the time) a one-man person running the show and who doesn't have control of delivery (on his end) of some items. Also, just think about how many PM's he gets; dang, it would be hard to respond to all of them, let alone just trying to manage his PM box!

I'd do business with these folks in a nano-second. Six months ago, probably not a nano-second, but once I received my reel, it was all good.

And some people take it up the a$$ without question... What's your point?QUOTE]

Wow, you gotta be kidding me; not getting your free rod and reel in a certain time frame is taking it up the ol' dirt track . . . I'm sorry, but this is a matter of perspective likely not shared by many.

Justin, I'd like to shake your hand and bow to you because you embody what this country (The USA) is all about...Identify an opportunity and go for it!

I've never been a customer but probably will become one after reading these threads. Things don't always work as expected, decisions are based on expectations and when you end up wrong your only option is to try to pacify your customers...from what I've read here you've made a serious attempt and enjoy alot of support.

I have had phone and email conversations with Justin. I have done a bit of business with him. Maybe juggling all the things necessary with a start up and all the responsibilities was more than Justin could handle alone. Now he's taken corrective action to be more timely from a business standpoint. I respect that. Some have had issues in the past. Others will have problems with Allen or other companies in the future. I will not turn my back on a company that is trying to enter the market at an affordable price level and actually listens. Justin takes a beating from a few here and there when their expectations are not met. I guess my expectations are easier to meet and I like what he is doing. Sorry that my support and experience is not what everyone has experienced.

I asked to see a reel and he sent me one to try. No money crossed hands. Just a reel. I liked it so much I asked him what was the cost and he emailed me back and I sent him the bucks. Then I asked him about a line and we did it the same way. I'm happy with both the reel and the line . Then out of the Blue another reel showed up. I asked him about it and he told me to keep it. You can't go wrong with that. I'm going to use the free reel this winter with my 6wt.

I would buy more but I think that I have all the gear I will need the rest of my life. All I have to get is flies but I got that covered from some people here.

I have made a few orders through Justin and have been very pleased with the products. I have a couple lines, several of his fly boxes which I really like, his stripping basket and 2 of his vest/packs. I did have to wait just a bit on a couple of the orders, but the quality of the product is great and the prices are quite reasonable so I am not going to complain one bit.

Even when my orders were delayed a bit Justin always responded to my inquires in a timely manner and kept me informed on the status of my orders.

I am a serious skeptic when it comes budget fly gear but after seeing one of the Trout 5/7's on the Methow my curiosity was piqued, not piqued enough to go buy a bunch of stuff but piqued none the less. After being exposed to several different Allen products I decided to use Allen products to help a friend who was curious about fly fishing so I ordered a couple lines and received them promptly and to boot they are pretty darn good lines especially for the price.

Based on this purchase I decided to pre-order sizes of the 9/10 Alpha II, after using it for the pink salmon season I decided to order the 7/8 Alpha II which arrived promptly and it is now eagerly awaiting the Klick (anthropomorphically speaking).

I also pre-ordered a 10' 7wt XA which came to day, oh goodie goodie, I have found it to be a surprisingly crisp rod with some junk in the trunk for handling bigger fish. I am pretty darned impressed with my Allen experience so far and it is unfortunate that there are a few who have not had such a positive experience. What I can say is that there have been some unfortunate growing pains which unfortunately have to be experienced by someone but these issues appear to have been addressed and should be minimized in the future. I look forward to new products to be released in the future and I hope they continue to grow and excel.

Had a lot of transactions with Allen, some great, some not. Truth be told, once you get Allen Co.'s attention they make it right. As someone who's worked in the outdoor industry in companies large and small, I will guarantee that every new start-up has it's challenges. Allen Fly Co. is in an incredible growth period but I think that they have a great future in our industry if they continue to offer amazing products at the prices offered.

Although I've had tough transactions, I'll stand behind their reels as I love fishing them. In the last few weeks I've fished Loop, Ross, Abel, Galvan, and I am still impressed when I pull out my Alpha or Trout series reels from Allen, as are the folks I fish with. I've landed Barracuda, Steelhead, Salmon, and big trout with their reels and all have stood up well to the test.

My recommendation...be patient, touch base with Justin and Evan, and know that they are growing and are having the hiccups that all new companies have had.

I am very impressed with the alpha 3/4 that I got last year, I have 4 of them. Still waiting to get my 10 ft 5wt but I think and hope it should be here soon along with a gunmetal 5/7 reel. The alpha drag system is awesome .

Probably not the sort of ad Allen would want to run, but it could alleviate the disappointment some complained about:

High quality product. Low price. Receive it right away. Choose any two, but you can't have all three.

I have the earlier model reel, and the drag definitely wasn't intended for salt water. Nonetheless I caught my first permit and some baby tarpon in Mexico last March while using it. I have one of the pre-order rods coming; it sounds like it's in transit. If it comes today, great, if not, maybe tomorrow. The price was a bargain; I can wait for that.

Denny, I believe you have taken my comment out of context or just simply misunderstood. Please send me a PM if you would like to discuss this further. My comment, although probably too graphic, was in reply to Stew's comment about some people being too difficult to please. Devils advocate...not my exact experience with Allen Fly Co., nor how I believe my interaction with Justin and his crew was experienced.

And some people take it up the a$$ without question... What's your point?QUOTE]

Wow, you gotta be kidding me; not getting your free rod and reel in a certain time frame is taking it up the ol' dirt track . . . I'm sorry, but this is a matter of perspective likely not shared by many.

Now that I have received my first order from Allen, thought I'd add my $.02.

Ordered two Xa rods and received them about 10 days ago. One of the rods was the incorrect weight. Sent Justin an email and they sent out the correct weight, even before receiving the incorrect rod back.

I returned the incorrect rod via UPS.

So, prompt attention given to me getting the rod that I ordered. Pleased? Yes.